'An incredibly climb-heavy course': UCI Road World Championships 2025 elite road race routes

If you thought that Zürich’s UCI Road World Championships road race was hilly, think again. As Africa hosts the event for the first time, Kigali brings an incredibly climb-heavy course to the table. With 5,475m of elevation over 267.5km in the elite men’s, it is the hilliest road race since Sallanches in 1980, and the only time over 5,000m of climbing has been tackled in the 21st century. Think less typical road race, and more Giro d’Italia epic mountain day.

Similarly, the elite women’s race officially has 3,350m of elevation, the most of any Worlds road race in the professional era.

All of this will be done at altitude, too, with Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, 1,567 metres above sea level, higher than the capital of Andorra, where many pro cyclists live. It is a World Championships made for climbers.

The road races do not leave the capital, which is likely to do with the logistics of taking the world’s best riders to a developing country; while the Tour du Rwanda makes a habit of travelling around, the best roads, relaid for such an occasion, are in Kigali.

This is not a race to show off a country, but instead to show off one city, a reasonably young one at that, founded in 1907 when Rwanda was part of the German Empire.

The men’s road race takes on two circuits, the local one, starting and finishing at Kigali’s Convention Centre, which is around 15km long, and an extension circuit of 42.5km which takes in both Mount Kigali and the Mur de Kigali. Both are used at the Tour du Rwanda, with Mount Kigali being 5.9km at 5.9%, and the cobbled Mur de Kigali being 400m at 11%. Neither should decide the race, but should soften the legs.

The local circuit is tackled nine times before the extension loop, and then six more times after. On the course are two climbs, the Côte de Kigali Golf, 800m at 8.1%, and the Côte de Kimihurura, 1.3km at 6.1%, the latter following a cobbled sector. It is not the length or gradient which should be a worry, but their repetition, as the kilometres tick on.

In the women’s race, the local circuit is the only part raced, but 11 times. The Kimihurura represents the final punch up to the line in both the women’s and men’s races, a final kick to split the race up, not that it will need it by then.

Women's elite road race route

Distance: 164.6km
Elevation: 3,350m

Men's elite road race route

Distance: 267.5km
Elevation: 5,475m